Show Review: Bag Raiders

Bag Raiders make a blend of indie pop and rock, pushing the criteria to a content place for sound in 2020. Their sound was infused with familiar sounds to lock the listeners in, toying with their own light and fluffy unique rhythm. They played at 1720, a venue in the arts district in the evening of February 15th, and took the crowd on a feel-good adventure. Their tones and fervor resonated throughout the space, allowing for everyone to be in a boisterous mood. When I was taking photos, the movement of the bodies around me led me to sway my body as well. 1720 is a unique venue, centered in the arts district os Los Angeles, looking like a beaten down warehouse from the outside. But after entering, I felt as though I had found a gem due to the urban light fixtures and nifty bar. I was approached by a man who I would later find out was one of the headliners, Liam Berkeley, asking if I was a photographer for the show. He seemed amped for his set (no pun intended), ready to provide dancing music to the crowd. Quirky quick drawings of Star Wars-esque creatures lined the foyer and patio, allowing for the venue to be deemed as a creative space.

NASAYA, one of the openers, had a musical feel similar to the main act, but he didn’t play his music on live instruments but rather off of midis. It seemed as though majority of the singers on his singers were outsourced talent. This allowed for an eclectic mix of talent on his songs, which he live fiddled around on with guitar riffs. He did bring out a friend to sing along with his productions, who acted as a crowd engager as well as melodic backing.

This concert was promotion for Bag Raider’s album “Horizons,” and was part of the band’s world tour of 2020 reaching Asia, Australia and the US. Looking around the crowd, I saw some fans were wearing the band’s merchandise, which allowed me to recognize Bag Raiders’s influence here in Los Angeles. The visuals displayed covering the drummer were in the same vein as their Horizon’s album cover: animations of simple shapes in the color palette of their cover. The shapes bounced around the backdrop, allowing for visual entertainment if you weren’t a dancer. If you enjoy dancing, this band is surely for you. The band played a few songs from their first album, which received a very excited reaction from the crowd. It didn’t seem as though many knew the songs off the newest album “Horizons,” but each song flowed into one another in harmony, keeping the energy alive and pulsing. The singer, Chris Stanley, occasionally took dance breaks, where he would throw his kicks out and smile over at his bandmate, Jack Glass. The band ended with playing their most famous hit, “Shooting Stars,” a popular meme theme and ultimately their most well known song. Just before, Jack told the crowd, “This is it! We don’t do encores!” in order to be transparent. The band has been together since 2006, and became popular in 2009 with their hit “Shooting Stars,” and since have done countless shows. The crowd knew just what to expect, and was given this in a neat and clean fashion. If you are looking to be uplifted with a feel-good experience, look no further than seeing Bag Raiders.